Anyone know of a good sports drink(endurance not Gatorade) that is veg*n friendly.

[randy5235]

I tried some Cytomax and then read the label to discover that is has Carmine added for color :think: I cycle quite a bit these days. I do bike delivery for a living and I am just started to mtb race. ( I placed 11th in my first race last weekend !!! ) Anyway I live in Texas it stays pretty warm here. I drink ALOT of water but have become a bit concerned about Hyponatremia as apparently its much more likely to cause damage than dehydration.

Anyone have some good ideas that would be great. I prefer fruit punch like flavors over lemon or lime.


Randy5235

[Libellula]

you could try Gu, which is a gel, mixed with water for more energy.

[Dirty Martini]

Gleukos. The stuff is really good.
http://www.gleukos.com/gleukology.html

[Bromo33333]

When you are doing centuries in riding and marathons and ultra marathons for running, at some point you will need simple sugars to keep going or you will "bonk" and basically collapse - at that point gels and processed stuff makes sense. Otherwise, yeah, avoid the stuff.

[DZL]

WATER.

Eat your carbs.

Don't injest processed sugar, or sugar substitutes.

Remember to drink plenty of water BEFORE your workout - a lot of people forget this - getting plenty of water beforehand will improve your performance. And, of course, get plenty of water afterwards.

DZL.

[Dirty Martini]

If you exercise a lot, however, water alone isn't going to deliver energy to your muscles and maintain your sodium & potassium levels. If you're going for a long period, you should ingest something to fuel your muscles & keep those glycogen levels up.

Glucose is an excellent source of energy for your body because it is immediately absorbed into your bloodstream (rather than having to be digested, like carbs). Plus, they typically contain sodium & potassium which assist your body with maintaining hydration during exercise.

Libellula had a great suggestion with GU (they have gel and drink mixes) and I still stand by my Gleukos suggestion.

[Libellula]

i like GU :)

[DZL]

If you exercise a lot, however, water alone isn't going to deliver energy to your muscles and maintain your sodium & potassium levels. If you're going for a long period, you should ingest something to fuel your muscles & keep those glycogen levels up.

Glucose is an excellent source of energy for your body because it is immediately absorbed into your bloodstream (rather than having to be digested, like carbs). Plus, they typically contain sodium & potassium which assist your body with maintaining hydration during exercise.

Libellula had a great suggestion with GU (they have gel and drink mixes) and I still stand by my Gleukos suggestion.

you're right, OreganAmy; if you are doing long endurance exercise - long-distance running/triathalons...etc - you will need to replace your glycogen stores -- but for the average person who is doing 30min of cardio and some weights, this is not necessary --

DZL

[Libellula]

i do long distance running and keep a supply of granola bars on hand, as well as gatorade. when I do longer distances i keep GU on hand. for normal workouts it's water followed by a snack.

[dirkduck]

I'm in a similar situation as the OP. Generally, I try to ride 20-30 miles about 5 days a week (all in the mountains, so 10-15m ascent then 10-15 decent usually). Generally I just take a bunch of water and a couple Clif/Odwalla bars. For rides this length (about 2-3 hours of pretty high intensity) will these types of energy bars provide enough electrolytes?

[Mr. Sun]

Many people enjoy their own homemade versions of commercial sports drinks. The basic recipe is not complicated and homemade sports drinks can provide all of the same benefits when mixed properly. Gatorade (tm) is formulated to give the following per 8oz serving:

* 14grams Carbohydrate (5.9%)
* 110 mg Sodium
* 30mg Potassium
* 52 Calories

Alternatives to this commercial product can be made using one of the following recipes:

Recipe #1

* 10 tbs. sugar (5/8 cups or 120 grams)
* .75 tsp Morton Lite salt (4.2 grams)
* 1 package of unsweetened Coolade mix for flavor
* Water to make 2 liters

Nutrition Information (per 8 ounces). The recipe will give a total of 124 grams of solute which in 2 liters water gives a total of 6.2% concentration.

* 14.2 grams carbohydrate (6%)
* 53 calories
* 103 mg Sodium
* 121 mg Potassium

You'll notice that the amount of potassium is quite a bit higher than Gatorade, but the rest is pretty close. As excess potassium is eliminated from the body by the kidneys, and some experts feel a high potassium helps to minimize muscle cramps - and hypertension if taken long term - this is not necessarily bad. However, if you wanted to reduce the potassium to the level of a Gatorade product, another option would be to use 1/2 tsp. each of regular salt and the Morton Lite Salt. This would change the composition to:

* 104mg sodium
* 40mg potassium


http://www.cptips.com/hmdesnk.htm

There are other recipes on the same site. :)

[Libellula]

I find that a lot of the liquid and "gu" energy supplements work better for me than the odwalla bars. while odwalla bars are really good at getting me past that hunger fix after a run, i find that trying to digest them or eat them during a run causes cramps, and that it takes too long for the glucose to process for energy. when i am running i want energy RIGHT NOW, and don't want to wait for it.

therefore, i go after gu and gatorade.

[Cosmo]

I'm a big fan of the Clif Shot gels. On shorter rides I usually eat a Clif Bar an hour before the ride, and just carry water on the bike. On longer rides, I carry one bottle of water, and one bottle of Gatorade (the Rain version because it doesn't have a lot of taste). I consume a Clif gel every hour.

Gatorade is vegan, by the way, if you decide to go that route.

[Libellula]

i normally eat cheese and crackers or something like that before a run, take water with me, and drink gatorade after (unless it's a long run. i need to look into a fuel belt)